In general, high-powered laser pointers provide a concentrated beam of light (or pointing dot) which can be used for targeting. When a laser pointer is used at night over long ranges, the user may only see the pointing dot and not the area surrounding the dot. Some laser systems, however, are dual functioning and provide both an illumination flood and a pointing dot. These dual-functioning laser systems are typically used at night to illuminate the area around the targeting spot. By illuminating the surrounding area, the laser provides a user with a wider field of view while continuing to operate as a targeting device.
In the past, one way to produce a dual-functioning laser pointer was to use two separate laser sources. One laser diode was used to illuminate the surrounding area, while another laser diode was used for creating the targeting dot. Using two laser diodes in one laser pointer requires each diode to have its own electronics and power source. Increasing the power source requires larger batteries, which increases the size and weight of the laser pointer.
A more recent approach to produce a dual-functioning laser device has been with a single laser source where the laser beam is split into two separate beams, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,714,564 issued to Meyers. For example, FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a dual-functioning laser lens assembly in which a single laser 10 emits a beam 11 that passes through a collimating lens 12. The beam 11 has an outer portion 13 and an inner portion 15. The outer and inner beam portions 13, 15 are sent through first and second optical lenses 14, 16 separated by a specified distance. The outer beam portion 13 passes through the first and second lenses 14, 16 in an un-refracted manner (approximately) to provide a collimated targeting beam 17. On the other hand, the first lens 14 refracts the inner portion 15 along a converging path toward the second lens 16, and the second lens 16 further refracts the inner portion 15 into a diverging illuminating beam 18. Thus, the illuminating beam 18 may be used to illuminate a distant target, while the targeting beam 17 may be used for precision aiming at the target. Adjusting the location of the second lens 16 to vary the distance between the first and second lenses 14, 16 alters the size and thus intensity of the illuminating beam 18.
Although desirable results have been achieved using such previous dual-functioning laser devices, there is room for improvement. Single laser devices that provide the desired targeting and illuminating capabilities and that are easier and less expensive to manufacture, and which provide improved laser power output characteristics, would have considerable utility.